Public Works
(of Art)

If you live in Boise, you are
automatically a collector

As Boise evolves, so grows its public arts program. This is largely because in 2001 the city implemented the "Percent for Art" ordinance, which dedicates 1 percent of the total cost of capital improvement projects within city limits to the Boise City Department of Arts and History.

As a result, Arts & History has grown by leaps and bounds, turning a retail space in downtown Boise into the Sesqui-Shop during the 150th anniversary of the founding of the city, preserving the home of Boise artist James Castle and establishing an arts grant program that has funded 355 people and organizations to the tune of $1.125 million since 1997.

Most visible, however, is its public art collection, now worth approximately $4.2 million. It's everywhere, from emblems mounted on the side of the highway to murals and sculptures that greet visitors to the City of Trees at the airport. Below are some of the newest additions to the sprawling collection and where you can see them.